Patricio O’Ward ‘s first victory in IndyCar, in the second race on the Texas oval of the 2021 season, changed the end of the year for the Mexican driver. He just needed a win to win a bet against McLaren CEO Zak Brown for the chance to test drive a Formula 1 car.
Since this happened, in his season in IndyCar he waged an intense battle with the Spanish Alex Palou for the championship, where he ended up in third position.
O’Ward himself, given the enthusiasm of the Mexican fans for having a second rider in the premier class, asks that the test be taken as such, as a test, and that they enjoy their performances in the American championship, where has become one of the new benchmarks.
“What I tell everyone is enjoy where I am, celebrate with me and watch the races,” O’Ward told Motorsport.com.
“Because at the end of the day, Formula 1 is where there are more eyes and it is global, but IndyCar is a place where you can have a very good sports career.”
“To be honest, there is no more competitive category for a driver, because the cars are very similar to each other. In F1 it matters more what team you are in to be competitive.
McLaren has no plans to promote the Monterrey team soon, because the regular drivers have contracts for several years. Lando Norris is signed until 2022, and it is unlikely that they will let their best driver go, while Daniel Ricciardo will be linked for two more seasons, that is, until the end of 2023.
O’Ward knows that the test arose from a bet , but his development in IndyCar in these two years with Arrow McLaren SP opened Brown’s eyes, who knows that he has a young driver in an important category, and that he already has the points for the super license.
“Not everyone thinks like Zak,” said the Mexican. “They come to IndyCar and they look at it as a ughhh thing. But I feel like at the end of the day it’s become the hardest championship in the world to win. That’s my opinion, and I know those who know of races coincide with it. In Formula 1 there are many very good drivers, but they don’t have a single-seater to fight with.”
Since the Sébastien Bourdais era, no other driver in the American category has made the leap to F1. One of the main drawbacks for a change of this type is the lack of knowledge of European circuits , which would put any driver at a notable disadvantage. This is something that the Mexican also recognizes, but which he points out is not a serious problem.
“The issue of not knowing the circuits is one of the biggest factors that I would have in my first year if it ends up happening.”
“But I say that changes like this [from IndyCar to F1] would be made if the F1 team bosses saw IndyCar, not as a ladder, but as a championship from which talents come out, which is what it is. I feel that if Together with the best F1 drivers and the best Indycar drivers, you would have a great grid, the best in the world.”
“I am trying to enjoy [the test] as much as I can. If the opportunity comes to be able to go up to F1 or give the saint, of course I will do it, because it is F1 and it is my passion. My dreams were born from F1, and Until I die, that will continue to be a part of me.”
However, the current Arrow McLaren SP driver is clear about the ideal conditions to reach the Grand Circus.
“It is a very complicated and delicate decision, of course I would love to arrive and have options to be winning in F1 too, in Indycar I already have that. Many try to get a small team to sign them and that they can show everything they can do so that a great choose them. At the end of the day you can not choose where you fall, “he concluded.
